Last week’s class on equity and accessibility made me reflect on my understanding of the terms and my current teaching practices. Equity includes treating some people differently and considering people’s particular needs and situations. At the same time, accessibility makes information, activities, and/or environments sensible, meaningful, and usable for as many people as possible (SeeWriteHear, 2020)
- Accessibility is about equity
- Accessibility is about cultural practice
- Accessibility is about people
- Accessibility is about compliance
- Accessibility is about usability
- Accessibility is about context (SeeWriteHear, 2022).
(Source: https://opentextbooks.uregina.ca/diversityandinclusionforoer/front-matter/definitions/)
As I reflect on the concepts of equity and accessibility, I need to ask myself the following questions:
Equity:
- Am I providing equal opportunities for all students to succeed in my classes?
- Do I recognize and address my students’ diverse needs and backgrounds?
- How can I ensure that each student has access to the resources and support they need to thrive academically?
- Am I aware of potential biases in my teaching methods, assessments, and student interactions?
Accessibility:
- Is the course content accessible to students with disabilities or diverse learning needs?
- Have I provided alternative formats (e.g., transcripts, captions, audio descriptions) for multimedia content?
- Have I considered the usability of online platforms and tools for students with various technological skills or limitations?
I acknowledge that there are many areas for improvement in my classes. The following article provides 20 ways teachers can make enhance accessiblity in their classes. Ranging from using clear and consistent layouts to keeping paragraphs short, this article is a good resource to help teachers implement simple adjustments to their classes, as a way to foster greater accessibility in their teaching.
